And daniel dodge



UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEioE.

PHINEAS BURGESS, OF EAST BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, AND DANIEL DODGE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

LIFE-BOAT.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 9,915, dated August 9, 1853.

T0 aZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, PHINEAS BUnGEss, of East Boston, in the county of Sufolk and State of Massachusetts, and DANIEL DODGE, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reversible Life-Boats; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure l, is a plan or top view of a lifeboat constructed according to our improvements; Fig. 2, is a side view of the same. Fig. 3, is a. midship section of the same. Fig. 4, is a transverse vertical section of the same, taken in the line, m, y, of Fig. 3.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts, in each of the several fgures.

The boat which forms the subject matter of this invention, resembles, in its general character, that for which Letters Patent were granted to George P. Tewksbury, bearing date, August 7th 1849,-consisting of a vessel, of which, the parts on either side of an imaginary horizontal plane, passing centrally through it, are, as nearly as practicable, exact counterparts of each other,-but it differs from the latter, in this important particular, viz., that, instead of a movable platform, or floor, and thwart-frames, the iioor consists of a platform which is stationary in the central horizontal plane above referred to; and the two sets of thwarts are secured in the boat, at fixed points, on opposite sides of, and at equal distances from, the ioor.

The above difference simplifies, in a great degree, the construction of the boat, and renders its elficiency more certain, by the absence of all movable parts, whose failure to adjust themselves properly, might be attended with much inconvenience and danger.

The hull, (as it may be termed,) indicated by A, A, in the drawings, consists of a water-tight vessel, of metal, or other material which may be divided into, or furnished with any number of water-tight air compartments and which has an opening, B, extending vertically through it, of such length and width as may be thought desirable, the water-tight air compartments extending all around, or being placed at the sides or ends of the said' opening. The

opening, B, constitutes the interior of the boat; and its sides and ends may be of such form as will best serve that purpose. Ve prefer the sides, a, a, to be vertical and parallel; and the ends, Z9, to be inclined from the top and bottom of the boat, at an angle of about 45", (see Fig. 3,) which will cause them to meet in vertices, c, c, in the central horizontal plane. It is not, however, necessary that the opening, B, extend directly through the boat; as, if an opening or recess is made in the upper, and another of similar form in the lower side, nearly to the central horizont-al plane, they will form an equivalent to the opening through.

The exterior form or horizontal section of the boat, should be such as will combine, in the greatest degree, great buoyancy with little resistance in passing through the water; the top and bottom should be flat, or nearly so. Instead of being made in, or furnished with, air compartments, the hull may be made of any material which possesses suiicient buoyancy to float on the water, and carry the necessary burden; and its form may be varied considerably, in every way, provided always that there is a central opening, B, extending through it, or openings or recesses in the upper and lower sides, which form the equivalent thereof.

The floor, C, may be made of wood, metal, or any suitable material, and extends between the vertices, c, c, at the ends of the opening, or openings, B, or is so placed that the central horizontal plane passes through its center ,-it is secured in its position, and supported, by any suitable means. Openings, (l, d, are left at the sides of the Hoor, to allow the escape o water from above it. The thwarts, D, D, of which there are two sets, are firmly secured, by any suitable means, to the sides of the opening, or openings, B; both sets being at equal distances from the ioor.

On each side of the opening, or openings, B, both at the top and bottom of the boat, there are keels, E, E, parallel to the center of the boat; and, in the uppermost pair of keels, the thole pins may be placed, suitable holes being made for the purpose of inserting them.

Two guard rails or life-rods, F, F, extend entirely around the boat, being secured thereto, by suitable fastenings, e, e; these will be placed at such a height as to serve for persons overboard to lay hold of, and

secure themselves to, and will also serve as fenders, to prevent damage to the boat by collision with another vessel or body.

It may be well to remark, that we have only used the terms, top and bottom, to distinguish the only sides of the boat which, from its form, can continue to occupy the. positions of top and bottom, namely, those sides in which the opening or openings, B, terminate; but, of these two sides, neither is arbitrarily the top or bottom. `When the boat is launched, or thrown into the water, it is immaterial which of those sides is upward; as it is iit for service either way; and, should the boat be capsized, it is fit for service immediately after coming completely over,what was the bottom then becoming the top, and vice versa.

7e do not claim to have invented a boat having an opening, B, extending completely through it, whereby it is rendered, by the addition of a floor, lit for service in opposite positions on the waters but What we do claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is,

The central fixed platform, C, which is secured in the opening, B, of the boat, in a plane passing centrally and horizontally, or nearly so, through the same, or which may be said to form a partition between two opposite recesses, substantially as described-v the said platform serving as a floor to the boat, whichever side is upward, and being, from its fixed position incapable of becoming disarranged by any accident.

PHINEAS BURGESS. DANIEL DODGE. Vitnesses S. H. WALES, O. D. MUNN. 

